Now that travel and gathering restrictions have lifted, a long overdue vacation may be just what you need to reinvigorate the mind, body, and soul. If you’re not quite ready to travel, a staycation may be the perfect way to relax while making the most of improvements made to your home and investments made in beach passes, pool clubs, golf memberships, or gyms.
Either way, you’ll encounter and use technology built upon hundreds of IEEE standards that help things go more smoothly, keep you safer and more connected, and even take your experience to the next level.
In this article, we highlight a few IEEE standards that contribute to common technologies on the road, at your destination, and at home.
Travel Safer and Greener
Travel comes in many forms, each offering a different adventure. You may choose to travel by train so you can sit back, relax, enjoy the view, and even stop at several points of interest along the way. There is a range of IEEE standards used in electric rail operation. For example, IEEE 16™ specifies design requirements for electronic controls to help make trains and other railway vehicles more reliable. IEEE 1653.1™ and IEEE 1791™ provide guidelines to optimize electric power supplies for better performance.
Time may be of the essence so you may choose to fly so you can arrive at your travel destination quickly and get started on your itinerary straight away. IEEE P802.1DP™ specifies profiles for Ethernet networks to maintain secure and reliable onboard communications for your pilots so you may have a safe and efficient flight.
Alternatively, you may choose to drive in the comfort of your own vehicle and make stops on your own schedule. With the rise in gas prices, more people are opting for electric vehicles (EV). IEEE 1547™ provides requirements for the connection between renewable energy sources like solar with the electrical grid, allowing your home to be greener and more sustainable while charging your electric vehicle (EV). Re-charging en-route is less troublesome using ultra-rapid chargers based on recommendations found in IEEE 2030.1.1™ and IEEE 2030.1.2™.
Nowadays, we all rely upon vehicular GPS systems to reach our destinations. This intelligent transportation system (ITS) component is supported by IEEE 1609™ standards series for wireless access in vehicular environments (WAVE). It can even reroute for faster arrival if traffic persists.
Autonomous vehicles enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) are rising in popularity, with safety being a top priority. IEEE P2040™ and IEEE 2846™, for example, provide safety requirements for automated driving systems (ADS) like programmed assumptions of encounters that can happen when driving. IEEE 2020™ addresses advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) like camera quality to better protect passengers and pedestrians.
Stay Connected While Traveling
Exploring a new place can be exciting as long as you know exactly where you’re going at all times.
The IEEE 802.11™ standards series for wireless local area network (WLAN) supports Wi-Fi and allows your smartphone to access the Internet without wires. Once on the Internet, IEEE 4003™ helps your navigation system collect data from satellites to give directions when walking around a new town. The IEEE 802.15™ standards series defines the pairing of Bluetooth wireless earbuds to listen to your favorite playlist.
You can search for the best restaurants in town, message friends and family to tell them about the day’s adventures, and check email because IEEE 2301™, IEEE 2302™, and IEEE 2303™ provide interoperability guidance to access the cloud. Paying for your food and experiences with your smartphone wallet, banking, or credit card details, is made possible in part by standards like IEEE 802E™ for Internet privacy and IEEE 1363.3™ for cryptographic technologies help make these transactions more secure and trustworthy.
Take Your Experience to the Next Level
Today, new and emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR) can make you feel like you are anywhere in the world.
When you watch videos, movies, or gaming, IEEE 1857.9™ helps to efficiently process immersive visual content on mobile while IEEE 2200™ provides a protocol for higher quality streaming.
Augmented reality (AR) is not just for gaming anymore. It will help you navigate streets and stores. These interactive experiences can include visual and auditory stimulation because of models defined in IEEE 1589™.
Going to be walking a lot? Get a 3D foot scan and purchase insoles made just for you because of specifications in IEEE P3141™. With virtual try-on available on many online shopping sites, you can even visit a virtual fitting room to visualize how pieces of clothing will look on your body before you buy and pack them in your suitcase.
Integrated with smart wearables, your clothing can utilize the IEEE 1451™ standards family to work like a smart device that connects to the systems and apps around you for more personalized excursions. It may be the perfect time to grab a smartwatch to track your steps. The IEEE 11073™ family defines medical device communications to send your vitals and activity results instantly and securely to PCs, tablets, and mobile phones so you can evaluate your performance on the go.
A camera is a must-have to document your adventure. IEEE 1858™ standardizes ways to measure and test camera phone image quality so that you can take the best selfies for your social media updates, no matter what brand your phone is.
Have a Relaxing Staycation
There will be plenty of time to put your feet up for hours of uninterrupted online gaming.
With e-sports and cloud gaming growing by record amounts globally, players need better user experiences and greater security. IEEE P2946™ and IEEE P2947™ aim to prevent cheating and create an immersive experience while IEEE P2948™ and IEEE P2949™ were specified to provide better stability and reduced latency when playing online with friends.
Your electronics are made interoperable because your smart home utilizes the framework from the IEEE 802.3™ standards series for Ethernet, connecting your modem, router, computer, and other wired Internet-capable devices to carry broadband signals at faster speeds. IEEE 1905.1™ enhances home networking by detailing how wireless and wireline technologies can toggle, seamlessly.
Time to pick a movie for a flick n’ float in your private pool? IEEE 1584™ standard for arc flash was developed to reduce the risk of electricity interacting with water.
As technology evolves and advances, so do the fundamental standards that help make the products and transportation we use safer, smoother, and more sustainable. Explore more IEEE standards that impact your everyday life in many other areas, and learn more about the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA), where the world’s innovators raise technology standards for the benefit of humanity.
